Putin y la Duma

Vladimir Putin, Russia's President addresses the newly elected lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma in Moscow.

This report by Steve Rosenberg:

It seems like only yesterday that the Russian Duma looked more like a battering ram for the Kremlin's opponents than a parliament. In the 1990s it was too busy trying to impeach former president, Boris Yeltsin, to concern itself with passing laws. But not this Duma. After December's parliamentary election it's dominated by deputies loyal to the Kremlin. So it was fitting that one of this new Duma's first visitors was President Putin.

In a speech at the parliament's opening session Mr Putin congratulated deputies on their election, referring to those often stormy parliamentary sessions during the days of Boris Yeltsin.

Russia's current leader noted that the country had changed since the first Russian Duma appeared ten years ago. In that time, the President said, parliament had moved away from political confrontation to constructive legislative work. The Duma's priority now, said Mr Putin, should be to improve the lives of ordinary Russians, especially in the areas of education, health and by helping to develop a system of mortgages. Russia's leader said the deputies should never forget that state power comes from the people.

At the end he received a standing ovation; it was perhaps to be expected, after all before the Duma elections earlier this month, the Kremlin had poured huge resources into making sure that the new parliament would be both supportive of the President and compliant.

It seems like only yesterday
parece que fue ayer

battering ram
ariete

impeach
llevar a juicio político

deputies
diputados

it was fitting
en este caso, era lógico

stormy
agitadas, conflictivas

confrontation
confrontación

constructive legislative work
trabajo legislativo más constructivo

standing ovation
ovación en la que el público se pone de pie para aplaudir

compliant
sumisa